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alfa
a film by Una Gunjak
alfa
a film by Una Gunjak
Technical Information
Working Title: Alfa
Director: Una Gunjak
Screenplay by: Una Gunjak
Nationality: Italian, Bosnian
Genre: Drama
Length: 100 min.
Shooting location: Italy, Bosnia
Una Gunjak
Production company:
SCCA / pro.ba
Obala Isa-bega Ishakovi ća 6, 71000 Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: + 44 7896 79 44 09 (UK)
+ 387 61 08 25 18 (BiH)
Producers:
Amra Baksic Čamo
[email protected]
Cecilia Frugiuele
[email protected]
Director’s Biography
­­­Festival de Cannes
Una Gunjak was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She studied film editing at the National
Film and TV School in UK, where she is based and has worked as film editor before making her short
film The Chicken. The film went on to screen 130 festivals world wide and win 26 awards.
3, rue Amélie, F-75007 Paris
Tel. 33 (0) 1 53 59 61 20
Fax 33 (0) 1 53 59 61 24
E-mail:
[email protected]
www.festival-cannes.org
The Chicken, 2014, 15 min.
EFA Best European Short
Semaine de la Critique 2014
Sundance 2015
Palm Springs Best Short 2014
Sarajevo Film Festival – Best Short 2014
New Directors / New Films 2015
Since 2000, the Festival
Residence has provided each
year accommodation and support to twelve selected young
directors in order to help them
prepare their first or second feature film. A jury presided by a film
director sits twice a year, selecting these young filmmakers on
the basis of their short films, or
With the support of HP. Printed on an HP Indigo Digital Press.
even first feature film, and the
merits of their feature film project.
During their 4-and-a-half-month
stay in Paris, they work on the
writing of their feature film project, have meetings with professionals and try, with the support
of the Cannes Film Festival, to
bring their project to co-production status.
Synopsis
Synopsis
Twelve years after escaping the Bosnian
War, Azra and her son still live in the
place that gave them shelter – a drug
rehab commune named ‘Alfa’ – in the
desolate and socially depressed Italian
countryside. When the commune faces
closure, Azra is tasked to find new
addicts in order to save it and keep
its mission alive. On this journey, she
meets doubts and prejudices about
her ‘home’ but also discovers the normal Italian life she was denied all these
years. Now that her son wants to leave
for university and her estranged husband in Bosnia wants a divorce, Azra is
forced to question her choices and sacrifices as a woman. Who is she 12 years
after arriving at Alfa, and what is she still
doing there?
Douze ans après avoir échappé à la
guerre de Bosnie, Azra et son fils vivent
encore dans le lieu qui leur a procuré
un abri – une commune de réintégration pour toxicomanes nommée ‘Alfa’ –
dans la campagne italienne désolée et
socialement défavorisée. Lorsque Alfa
est menacée de fermeture, Azra est
chargée de trouver de nouveaux toxicomanes afin de la sauver et de maintenir sa mission. Ce faisant, elle a des
doutes et des préjugés concernant sa
« maison », mais découvre aussi la vie
italienne normale qui lui a été refusée
toutes ces années. Maintenant que son
fils veut partir pour l’université et que
son ex-mari en Bosnie veut divorcer,
Azra s’interroge sur ses choix et ses
sacrifices en tant que femme. Qui estelle 12 années après son arrivée à Alfa,
et pourquoi est-elle encore là ?
Statement of Intent
Alfa explores the notions of woman’s
identity – and the loss of it – through
migration and the sacrifice it brings.
Approaching it in an impressionistic
style combined with elements of documentary and verité, I will focus on naturalistic performances, while visually
and sonically engaging with the visceral aspect of the world the characters
inhabit. As they witness the decomposition of their individual limbo spaces, the
tone of the film evolves, hand in hand
becoming increasingly daring, surreal
and dark. By employing different visual
formats and often crossing the parameters of diegetic space and time, I want
to underline the differences between
Alfa and the outside world, and allow
the audience to partake in the character’s personal reality.
Note d’intention
Alfa explore les notions de l’identité de
la femme – et la perte de celle-ci – par la
migration et le sacrifice qui en découle.
En approchant dans un style impressionniste mêlant éléments du documentaire et du réel, je me concentrerai
sur une représentation naturalistique
tout en retenant par l’image et le son
l’aspect visceral du monde dans lequel
vivent les personnages. Alors qu’ils sont
témoins de la décomposition de leurs
propres limbes, le ton du film évolue,
devenant de plus en plus audacieux,
surréaliste et sombre. En utilisant différents formats visuels et au travers de
paramètres de temps et d’espace diégétiques, je tiens à souligner les différences entre Alfa et le monde extérieur,
et permettre au public de participer à la
propre réalité du personnage.